Washing machine



May 10, 1938. F. A. CONTERMAN 2,116,695

'WASHING MACHINE I Filed Aug. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIII, UH

F. A. CONTERMAN May 10, 1938.

WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Elnucmloo E5. 5 Y Wed *2 Cowfermarz iii) 7 40 wringer drive and i'ndexing'head;

' 1 Patented May 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WASHING MACHINE Fred A. Oontennan, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to Blackstone Manufacturing Company, Inc., Jamestown, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 22, 1936, Serial No. 97.429 9 Claims. (01. 74-387) This invention relates to anirnprovement in wringers for washing machines and moreparticularly to a drive and control mechanism therefore.

The preferred embodiment of the invention discloses a wringer support, adaptable for use with is in operative position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reversing drive mechanism which can be readily assembled or disassembled, due to the simple arrangement of parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide acne piece housing for a reversible drive mecha- IllSli'.

Another object of the invention is-to provide a housing which is adapted to fit'and blend with the contour of the wringer casingfor the purpose of eliminating unnecessary projections and enhance the appearance of the structure as a whole. r Other and further objects of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with'the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a combined washing machine and wringer, including a Fig. 2 is" an enlarged vertical sectional view of the drive head, being taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the drive head, being taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing an interlock between the reversing drive and indexing mechanism, being taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig; 5 is a. fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 4,- showing the indexing mechanism locked and the drive head in position for use;

indexing take place when the drive mechanism Fig. 6 is a plan view of the drive head;

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the drive head reversing lever;

Fi 8' is a perspective view of a shifter block movable by manipulation of the reversing lever;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the indexing. lever;-

- Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 3, showing stop means for the indexing lever; and p Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on the line llil of Fig. 1 and shows all positions into which the head and wringer may be swung.

Reference is now had to the drawings and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof wherein a washing machine generally indicated by the reference numeral I0 is provided with a wringer i I supported by a housing l2. The housing I2 is in turn mounted on a drive housing l3 which extends downwardly of one side of the washing machine i0. 7

The housing l3 encloses a drive shaft 14 connected in any suitable manner with the mecha-' nism utilized to operate the washing machine.

The upper end of the housing I3 is of sufficient thickness to accommodate sockets l5 which may be arranged in a circle degrees apart. A further socket I6 is located midway between one pair of sockets I5. These sockets. constitute a part of the indexing mechanism hereinafter fully described.

The housing 12 which encloses the wringer driving and indexing mechanisms is formed with a downwardly directed annular collar 20 adapted to fit upon the upper end of the housing l3. Within the housing adjacent the collar 20 is a web portion 21 providing a bearing 22 in which ashaft 24 is mounted. The lower end of the shaft 24 is connected with drive shaft I4. The upper'end of the shaft 24 is fitted with a pinion gear 25 which projects upwardly into a compartment 26 of the housing l2. Projecting inwardlyfrom the end wall 21 of the housing is a boss 29 in which an opening 30 is made. The boss 29 is opposite the open end of the housing and is adapted to receive and support one end of a recenter with the opening 39.01"? boss 29. A cover plate 39 is adapted to close the opening 31. This cover plate is annular and abuts an annular shoulder 49 provided therefor in the wall 36.

The plate 39 is formed with a plurality of arms 4| having suitable openings to receive screws 42 I which have threaded engagement with the wall 36 and serve to secure the plate in place. Centrally of the plate 39 is an opening 44 which constitutes a further bearing for shaft 3|. The free end of shaft 3| is fitted with a drive pin 45 with gear 5| is mounted on the shaft 3| and includes opposed. sets of teeth 52, either set of which is engageable with the pinion gear 25. The opening in the gear 5| is formed with oppositely disposed key ways 53 into which the ends of pins 49 project. It is to be understood that the diameter of with an inwardly raised projection 16. One" edgethe gear 5| is slightly less than the diameter of the opening 31, thus permitting inserting this gear through said opening during assembly.

Located on top of the housing l2 is a reversing lever 55. Within the opening 35 of the portion 34 is a shaft 56 from which projects a pin 51. The lever is mounted upon and secured to this pin. Midwayof the shaft 56 is an annular groove 59 in which at predetermined positions, depressions 60 are made. An opening 6| .is made in portion 34. In this opening is a bullet nosed pin 62 which is normally engaged with the annular groove 59 and one of the depressions 66, due to contact with a spring 64. Pressure of the spring 64 upon the pin 62 is varied by adjustment of a screw 65 which. is threaded into the outer end of the opening 6|. In this connection it is to be understood that shaft 56 may be rotated byrotation of lever 55 and the bullet nosed pin 62 will move out of a depression 60, but the enlarged portion thereof will not move out of the groove 59, thereby preventing inadvertent removal of shaft 56-from the housing 2. Projecting downwardly from the lower end of shaft 56 is an off center pin 61, on which a roller 68 is mounted. When the lever 55 is rotated in one direction to a point 90 degrees from the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, roller 68 'moves to the left. Conversely, when the lever 55 is moved in the opposite direction 90 degrees, roller 68 moves to the right.

Reference is now had more particularly to further interior structure of housing |2 (see Fig. 3), Between the top wall 33 and web portion 2| of the housing and projecting inwardly. from each side wall 69 thereof is a ledge or shoulder 10. Mounted transversely of the housing with the ends resting-upon ledges I9 is a shifter block 1|. This block (see Fig. 8) is a channel shaped memher and comprises a base wall 12 and side walls 13. At one end the base wall is formed with a slot I5. Adjacent the other end the wall 12 is formed 11 ofthe projection constitutes a stop to prevent movement of the roller 68 transversely of the housing-I2 in one direction and full rotation of the reversing lever 55. The shifter block, although mounted on and movable along ledges 16, projects between the spaced sets of teeth 520! the twin gear 5|. Inasmuch as the gear 5| is movable axially of its supporting shaft 8| it is evident that manipulation of the lever 55 will move the eccentrically mounted roller 68, block II and gear 5| from neutral position shown in Figure 2 to driving position in either direction.

One of the side walls 69- of the housing. l2,

commencing adjacent the lower end of collar 20.

. collar 20 and is adaptedto register with one of the sockets |5 or I6 formed in the housing |3.

The upper end of the pin 84 is of reduced diameter to form an extension 85 which projects through the opening 82. Between the upper end of the opening 8| and the upper end of pin 84 is a spring 81, which normally exerts a pressure on pin 84 to move it downwardly out of opening 8|. The upper end of extension 85 is; under conditions hereinafter fully described, projectible either against the under face of the basewall l2 0f shifter block 1| or into the recess 15. I

On that portion of the housing l2, heretofore designated as, collar 20, is, an indexing lever 90. This lever is mounted on a shaft 9| that extends through collar 20 into portion 80, through a suitable opening 93. The shaft 9| is formed with a pair of slots 95 and 96. .The base wall of each slot is shown to be at a 45 degree angle to the center line of thelever 99. A stop pin.9'| is mounted in the collar 20 of the housing and projects through slot 95. Referring to Figure 10, it will be noted that the pin 91 limits the indexing lever 9ll-to a degree turn, an edge of the slot striking the pin in either dotted or solid line position of this figure. Slot 96 is of suflicient width to receive pin 84. The edge 99 of the base wall of this slot serves as a shoulder which engages the upper wall I00 of a slot |0| formed transverely of pin 84. Rotation of the lever 90 from a vertical to a horizontal position causes shoulder 99 of shaft 9| to engage wall I90 of the indexing,

pin 84,- moving said pin upwardlya determined distance'against tension of spring 81. When the lever 90 is in a' horizontal position, the lower end of pin 84 has been withdrawn from one of the sockets 5 or I6 in the housing l3, thus allowing housing I2 and wringer to swivel about 'locating the indexing pin 84 in socket 16. The

other four sockets facilitate setting the .wringer in any one of four predetermined positions 90 degrees apart. i a

As mentioned above, the housing I2 is open opposite the end wall 21. The side walls 69 of the housing are shaped to fit the contour of the time board and clothes guide of the wringer I so that when the wringer is engaged with the housing the entirestructure will have a one piece appearance. Referring particularly to Figure 2 it will be notedthat a plate I63 is secured to'the end wall of the wringer I. This plate is formed with an opening I64, through which the wringer shaft 48 projects. The lower end of the plate is formed with a horizontal flange I95, the width of this flange being substantially that of the interior width of the housing l2. The upper end of plate I88 is formed with an outwardly and upwardly curved flange I01 which provides a pocket, I88.

Adjacent the upper wall 88 of the housing l2 and. secured in any suitable manner to the side walls the indexing lever 88 and pin 84 have been assembled in the housing i2, said housing is mounted upon housing l3, collar 20 resting on the upper the drive shaft l4.

placed within the housing l2 and mounted onend of housing l8. Shaft 24 withpinion gear 25 thereon is placed within the compartment 26 and moved downwardly through the bearing 22 of the web portion 2|. The lower end of shaft24 is slotted to engage a pin on the upper end of The shifter block 1| is next ledges Ill. The twin gear 5| is now projected through opening 81 and moved to receive shifter block 1| between opposed sets ,of teeth 52. The gear 5| is, of course, positioned directly over pinion gear 25. The shaft 3| is next projected into the housing through gear 5| into the opening 38 of boss 28.v The cover plate 39 is next applied to close opening 31.

purpose. When the circumferential edge of the plateis moved into abutment with the annular the oil. center pin 61 thereof will project into an opening in the. roller 58. The reverse lever 55 ismounted upon pin 51 which projectsupwardly above the housing. The bullet nosed-pin 52 is next inserted into the opening 6| and projected into the annular groove 580i shaft 56. Pin 62 prevents shaft 56 from being inadvertently withdrawn by the lever 55 from its position in the housing l2 since it is never entirely removedfrom the annular groove 59 due to tension of spring 54 applied through screw 65. Shaft 8|, which mounts indexing lever 88; having been assembled into the housing l2 at the .time of assembling the indexing pin 84, the drive and indexing mechanisms are complete and assembly of the wringer ll only remains before-the device can be operated. The wringer II, is mounted on the housing i2 by engaging thehook like flange I81 beyond the supporting pin I88 and swinging flange N5 of the plate Hi3 into position within the housing beneath lugs' H8. Screws ||2' are engaged through threaded openings in the flange with lugs I85 and prevent displacement of the wringer. The wringer shaft 46 is projected into sleeve 48, mounted on shaft 8|, pin 4'l serving tocouple shaft 48 with the sleeve. i

The drive and indexing mechanisms and wringer mounting having been fully described, operation and control of the device is as follows. In use the wringer may be swung to any of the four positions indicated by sockets l5. To accomplish this, indexing lever 80 must be moved from a vertical to a horizontal position. As explained above, shaft 8| of the lever 98 rotates the shoulder 88 thereof, moving indexing pin 84 upwardly against tension of spring 81. .The indexing pin 84, it will be the pinion gear 25.

This plate is slid onto shaft 3|, opening 44 therein being for this noted, can only be moved upwardlytobecome disengaged from one of. the sockets IE or I6, if and when the shifter block II is in neutral position. That is to say, when neither set of teeth 52 of gear 5| is engaged with With the shifter block in neutral position, slot 15 thereof is centered with the extension 85 of indexing pin 84 and through actiongof the lever 90 said extension moves upwardly into the slot (see Fig. 4). With the extension 85 projecting through shifter block H,

the block cannot be moved laterally along ledges Hi .to bring either of the sets of teeth 52 into mesh with gear 25 through manipulation of the reversing lever 55. It is, therefore, evident that,

when the wringer is released for pivotal move--.

ment, the drive mechanism thereof. cannot be set in motion. After the wringer has been swung to the desired position, the lever 90 is rotatedfrom horizontal to vertical position and inderdng pin 84 is released to move downwardly into one of the sockets [5 under tension of spring 81.

' Withdrawal of the extension 85 of pin 84 from shifter blockfll'releases the reversing lever 55.

When this lever is rotated 90 degrees, eccentric roller 58 .moves the shifter block 'Il laterally along ledges 18, causing one of the sets of gears 52 to engage pinion (see Fig. 5). With the parts in this position it will be noted that the slot 15 of the shifter block II is'not in, alignment with the extension 85 of indexing'pin 84. Consequently, the indexing lever 90 cannot be manipulated to withdraw pin 84 from one of the sockets i5 while the reversing mechanism is in gear. This arrangement of parts prevents accidental swinging of the wringer while the'rolls are in motion and conversely prevents the rolls being set in motion during swiveling of the wringer.

the assembly features It will be noted that of the driving and indexing mechanisms within the housing l2 are readilyaccessible through the open end of the housing and that this opening is closed by the wringer H. Inasmuch as wringer H is readily disassembled from the housing l2 by removal of screws H2, access to all parts of the -mechanisms embodied in this invention is readily had.

Although applicant has.shown and described only one modification of index and drive mechanisms mounted in a housing adapted to sup port a wringer, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations of this structure may be templated in so far as these. modifications or adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for whichi desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, an open. ended housing, walls within the housing forming a gear enclosing compartment, one of the walls adjacent the open end of said housing having an opening of a diameter to permit insertion and removal of the gears of the structure, a cover made and are conplate for said opening, and means securing said cover plate to the walls of said opening.

2. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a

housing adapted to support a wringer, a reverse gear mechanism in the housing adapted for opmechanism, further means in the housing, the

' in the housing forming a reverse gear enclosing compartment, one of the interior walls having an opening of a diameter to permitinsertion of a reverse gear mechanism, a reversing lever on the housing'having a shaft projecting into the compartrnent, eccentric means operably connecting the lever shaft with a reverse gear mechanism, further means securing the lever shaft against removal from the housing, the further means also serving to indicate engaged and disengaged positions of the gear mechanism when the reversing lever is operated.

4. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a housing adapted to support a wringer, walls within the housing forming a reverse gear enclosing compartment, one of the interior walls having an opening of a diameter to permit insertion of a reverse gear mechanism, a cover plate for the interior wall opening, the cover plate having an. opening, the walls of which constitute a bearing for a reverse gear shaft, a reversing lever on the hous-.

ing having a shaft projecting into the compartment, means in the housing exteriorly of the compartment securing the lever shaft against removal, the means cooperating with the shaft to indicate engaged or disengaged positions of the gear mechanism when the reversing lever is operated.

5. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a reverse gear housing adapted to support a wringer, a drive shaft housing on which the gear housing is rotatable about a vertical axis, a reverse gear mechanism in the gear housing, comprising a shaft, a pair of reversing gears onthe shaft, a drive shaft pinion gear engageable with either of the reversing gears, a reversing lever on the gear housing, shifter means connecting the lever with the reversing gears, means in the gear housing engaged with the drive shaft housingfan indexing lever connected with and adapted to disengage the means from the drive shaft housing to permitrotation of the gear housing and wringer, the means in the gearhousing, when disengaged from the drive shaft housing, being engaged with the shifter means to prevent adjustment of the reversing gears into operative position.

6. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a

reverse gear housing adapted to support a wringer, a drive shaft housing on which the gear housing is rotatable about a vertical axis, a reverse gear mechanism in the gear housing, comprising a shaft, a pair of reversing gears on the shaft, 9. drive shaft pinion gear engageable with either of the reversing gears, a reversing lever on the gear housing, a shifter block located between the reversing gears, the block being mounted on the housing and movable axially of the shaft, a rod connecting-the lever with the block, means in the gear housing projecting into an opening in the drive shaft housing and securing the housings against relative rotation, an indexing lever, on the gear housing, connected with and adapted to move the means out of engagement with the drive shaft housing into engagement with the shifter block'when the block is in neutral position.

7. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a reverse gear housing adapted to support a wringer, a drive shaft housing on which the gear housing is rotatable about a vertical axis, a reverse gear mechanism in the gear housing comprising a shaft, a pair of reversing gears on the shaft, a drive shaft pinion'gear engageable with either of the reversing gears, a reversing lever on the gear housing, shifter means connecting the lever with the reversing'gears, these shifter means being located within the gear housing and movable axial- 13 of the shaft, a vertically movable pin mounted in the gear housing, the pin projecting into an opening in the drive shaft housing and securing the housings against relative rotation, an index ing lever, on the gear housing, connected with and adapted to ove the pin out of engagement with the drive shaft housing, the'pin, when disengaged from the drive shaft housing, being engaged with the shifter means to prevent adjustment of the reversing gears into operative position.

8. In 'a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a housing having an open end, the walls of which conform to and are adapted to fit the end contour of said wringer, a further wall within the nous-- ing'adjacent the open end thereof, said further wall having an opening of a sizeto permit insertion and removal of the gears of the structure, a cover plate for said opening, and means securing said cover plate to the walls of said opening.

9. In a reverse gear structure for a wringer, a reverse gear housing adapted to support'a wringer, a drive shaft housing on which the gear housing is rotatable about a' vertical axis, a reverse 

